Queen Street bank robbed

A fake plastic gun used in an armed bank robbery this morning was found discarded with a jacket in a bar toilet near the scene of the crime.

A BNZ bank branch on lower Queen Street in Auckland was robbed of between $100 and $500 in the heist.

A Caucasian man, thought to be in his 50s, presented a note and a gun to a teller about 10.20am and made off with a small amount of money, said Auckland City Police communications manager Noreen Hegarty.

"There was a challenge, or an approach made to a teller."

While in the bank he was wearing a blue beanie with red writing on the front, reading glasses, a heavy, dark, long-sleeved jacket, blue jeans and black shoes, and was carrying a shoulder bag over his right shoulder.

Moments later the man walked around the corner into the Right Track Bar on Fort Street where he removed his jacket and beanie.

When he left the bar he was wearing a pink and yellow short-sleeved checked button-up shirt with a black, long sleeved t-shirt underneath, blue jeans, black shoes and a cream coloured sun hat.

The duty manager at the Right Track Bar said the suspect's jacket, complete with the fake gun used in the robbery, were found discarded in their toilets by a customer.

"Obviously we didn't know whose it was, but one of our customers brought it out.

"In the jacket was the fake gun that he had used," said the manager, who did not to be named.

She described the weapon used in the robbery as "just a black piece of s*** plastic gun".

"It would have looked real from a distance, but not close up."

BNZ spokesman Thor Bostelmann said there was a minimal amount of cash taken from the premises during the incident.

"No customers or staff were injured during the event and BNZ will be offering its full support and services to those affected.

Police were investigating and the store would stay closed for the remainder of the day, Mr Bostelmann said.

The BNZ branch was expected to be open for business tomorrow.

The robbery did not affect operations at BNZ's head office - located directly above the branch.

The suspect had not been apprehended as at 7pm.

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What happened

* Just after 10.20am, lower Queen Street in Auckland, a Caucasian man thought to be aged in his 50s robs a BNZ bank branch

* The man leaves the bank with between $100 and $500

* He enters the Right Track Bar on Fort Street

* The man leaves the plastic gun used in the robbery in the bar's toilets, changes his clothes and walks out of the bar